The public health measures in place in primary and intermediate schools and kura mean that approaches to case and contact management can be refined to better reflect the infection risk. It may no longer be necessary for a school or kura to immediately close when a case has been identified as infectious while in attendance.
Staff are vaccinated which reduces their risk of becoming infected with the virus or becoming seriously ill. Children are at lower risk of severe illness if they are infected with the virus.
Guiding Principles
» The public health measures in schools and kura mean that the risk of transmission of COVID-19 is reduced. However primary and intermediate settings may be more challenging than with older groups of students because of lower vaccination rates and lower use of face coverings. Additionally, there will be some children with complex needs that may be at higher risk for adverse outcomes from COVID-19
» There are significant benefits for children and young people to be in school – from educational, social and developmental perspectives
» A pragmatic approach to identifying the level of contact will be taken
» The approach aims to support the continuation of learning within primary and intermediate schools and kura as we transition to a minimisation and protection approach across the country
» We recognise that different communities will need different levels of assistance to ensure equitable health and educational outcomes at any time, and particularly while managing COVID-19 within education settings.
Contact Management
Definition of what various contacts mean: